Review: The Gromos - Booty

artist: the gromos album: booty label: ash from sweat records released: by: eduardo moutinho I remember the first time that I watched The Gromos play… It was a few years ago, at a Golden High School battle of the bands, while I was still just starting to get into the underground music scene. I remember an energetic bunch of guys, playing somewhat unoriginal, yet well-executed pop punk. To be quite honest, I wasn’t too fond of the music, since I was still mostly about nu-metal, yet I respected their spot-on musicianship and apparent enjoyment of playing music. I didn’t quite understand what they were about. Fast forward to today, The Gromos are no more, rather, they are The Green Fuse now, a band with a totally revamped sound and an incredibly bright future ahead of them. Yet, The Gromos legacy of enthusiastic pop punk remains in most of our memories, and in this case, a nostalgic CD entitled Booty. In essence, Booty is an audio memoir of the band, containing all their popular tracks, enclosed in handsome packaging. Of course, the packaging is an Ash From Sweat staple. The CD, along with acknowledgments and a delightfully crafted treasure map (with clever crinkling and fading) are contained within a brown paper wrapper stamped with a stenciled logo and accented with twine strewn across the bottom. The music itself is just as I described earlier, energetic pop punk. There’s nothing really complicated here, just a group of high school kids living out their adolescence. This brings me back to another thing I said earlier, when I saw them at that battle of the bands, I wasn’t too keen on their sound. That alone was the big mistake that I made when analyzing The Gromos. They really didn’t care about how original their music was; they cared about having fun and screwing around. Hell, one of their most popular (if not, most popular) songs is called “Cut that Mullet.” Not to say that The Gromos are a joke band, or a band that goes on stage to goof off and play a random string of noises; these guys played their music well. I’m not the biggest pop punk fun, then and now, but if I had to listen to some, I wouldn’t mind listening to this. The musicianship is solid, and the energy from the live show manages to come through. This is fun music, and that is exactly what it was meant to be. On top of energetic punk tracks such as “Fair Trade,” the aforementioned “Cut that Mullet,” and “Force Fed” (which includes standard “whoahoaohoas”) are slower ballads that add a hint of variety and poignancy to the record. These songs include the epic six-minute opener “The Last Time You Cried,” another very popular Gromos song. For those who love this kind of music, they’ll be quite pleased with this CD. I’ll always remember The Gromos for many reasons. They were around when I started to get into all this, and I even managed to play a show with them with my first real band, a sad hardcore outfit named Rift. I’m glad to see that they’re still around as The Green Fuse, and I look forward to watching their evolution continue. But for those who want to travel back a year or two for 20 minutes, go over to the Ash From Sweat site and see if you can pry one of the few remaining copies of Booty away from them. favorite song: "the last time you cried" rating: 80%/100%

Review: Giant Eyeball/ItsyBtsySpydr Split

artist: giant eyeball / ItsyBtsySpydr album: split (ep) label: ash from sweat records released: by: eduardo moutinho The world of noise music is becoming more and more popular nowadays, especially within our localized Colorado scene. Maybe it’s the experimental nature of the music, or maybe it's the artistic element that’s involved which interests people. Nevertheless, noise music is here to stay for the meantime, if you like it or not. Hot off the heels of their EP release, Giant Eyeball is back by means of a split with another noise project, ItsyBtsySpydr. This new release is as eccentric as ever, and I guess it would be best for me to review it as two separate parts. Firstly, the packaging is quite simplistic. The slim CD jewel case is adorned with an interesting picture depicting the band names, and inside, there are two inserts with song titles and acknowledgments from each band. The CD itself was decorated with a few elementary school sticker stars. Anyway, onto the music. The first six tracks on the offering are all Giant Eyeball. The music seems to have gone through an (expected) evolution. The tempos are more varied and I think the new tracks would appeal to a broader audience. Some songs came out of the blue, such as the dark and subdued “go take a piss, right now.” The song itself utilizes a twangy guitar, playing notes that don’t necessarily go together, yet at some points the song almost resembles some kind of twisted ballad. I’m not positive, but I think the group managed to use an even wider menagerie of instruments when making the new songs. Instruments used include guitars, bongo drums, maracas, a celing fan, a bottle of Jack Daniels, cymbals, and their voices. Nevertheless, I find the new songs to be more enjoyable. ItsyBtsySpydr takes over after track seven and finishes off the record. The music exhibited by this young man (ItsyBtsySpydr is a one-person entity) is even more on the eccentric and unusual side. The songs are very synthetic and are harder to follow. There are a variety of pauses in each track, and there are a lot of random sections in each song. Overall, I didn’t seem to enjoy the music during this section of the split. I guess this is a case of the music being a little too abstract for my taste. Plus, the tempo was slower throughout most of the songs, and the sounds were less emphatic. I guess you can “chill” to this a little more than you can with most music. For me, that’s not the kind of music I enjoy listening to. Nevertheless, it’s an interesting set of tracks worth listening to at least a couple of times. This split is a release for the more liberal kind of listener. For those who don’t enjoy or are unwilling to listen to unorthodox music, don’t even come close to this. For everyone else, this is a really good release to wrap your brain around. favorite song: “quick, think of something funny” rating: 75%/100%

Review: Evergreen Terrace - Burned Alive by Time

artist: evergreen terrace album: burned alive by time label: eulogy recordings released: by: rob tatum Burned Alive by Time is the second full length album from Florida’s Evergreen Terrace. This is their first full length release on Eulogy. The first thing I noticed when I listened to this album is that the production quality is better than their previous releases… although I have still heard some complaints about it… I think it’s fine. It follows typical hardcore fashion, ten songs, clocking in around a half an hour. The CD starts with an intense, thundering barrage of hardcore, but tails into melody and great musicianship. All staples of the Evergreen Terrace sound. The band embraces the power of a hardcore band but with the ability to create amazing melody, each song pulls you in and you just want to sing along. Musically, the band is loaded with talent. The breakdowns have a lot of energy and the melodies have a ton of heart. The only complaint I have with this band is that they are Christian. This is ordinarily not a big deal to me, especially when they don’t flaunt it, but some of the songs on this record have lyrics that don’t apply to everyone. That really bothers me. “When you're gone no one will miss you and when you're dead no one will cry. Kiss your life goodbye. You believe in nothing.” On those words alone, this album drops from one of the best albums I have heard, to one of the best musically, but sub-par lyrically. I still enjoy this album immensely, as not every song is like that. The best part of this album is the Depeche Mode cover at the end of the last song. favorite song: "heavy number one (aka: shizzle my nizzle)" rating: 88%/100% listen to evergreen terrace

Review: Boys Night Out - Broken Bones and Bloody Kisses

artist: boys night out album: broken bones and bloody kisses label: one day savior records released: by: rob tatum First off this is an EP, so it’s only six songs in length. For once, I have a lot of meaningful comparisons for this band. For anyone who liked older Keepsake (prior to Fearless Records), then Boys Night Out is the band for you. Combining hardcore, similar to Remembering Never, with poppy, catchy punk, Broken Bones and Bloody Kisses is a perfect example of how to combine to genres into one. The lyrics are once again similar to Remembering Never, “The first time I saw a body bend that way I realized that we’re more beautiful dead than alive.” The only thing that is hard to get used to is that the lyrics are sang in a catchy manner as opposed to the hardcore screams usually attached to words of that manner. I hope that this band isn’t trying to take advantage of a trend because they are a good listen, but I don’t know how long before it gets boring. The music isn’t overly complex, and is kind of boring in the poppy parts. Simple drum beats and somewhat basic guitar work, but good sound. Fans of intense musicianship, this is not for you. For fans of catchy, decently-arranged music; check this out if you get the chance. favorite song: "the only honest love song" rating: 83%/100% listen to boys night out

Review: Giant Eyeball - For Motion Sickness and Refuse

artist: giant eyeball album: for motion sickness and refuse label: ash from sweat records released: by: eduardo moutinho Giant Eyeball… Imagine two marijuana connoisseurs coming together, while on a mad high, to make music with a bunch of random instruments/objects. That summarizes Giant Eyeball: music for the high, made by the high. Therefore, that is my quandary. I don’t get high, and I don’t plan on getting high any time soon. So as I approach For Motion Sickness and Refuse, I’m already at a disadvantage. But, I’ll give it my best shot to give a fair and honest evaluation of this cassette tape demo. Alright then, as with any Ash From Sweat Records release that I will review, the packaging must be taken into consideration. For this release, the packaging is even more intriguing than normal. To begin, the cassette and inserts are contained within a genuine airline vomit bag. Dan Phelps, one half of Giant Eyeball, actually went to Denver International Airport to collect the bags. Now that’s dedication. Anyway, the inserts for this release are quite detailed and fascinating. Imagine a couple of transparency sheets stapled together to make a booklet. Now imagine two ornate drawings depicting a giant eyeball staring at a man and wrapping itself around the earth printed on the transparencies along with a track listing and acknowledgments. Very interesting stuff indeed, and a perfect compliment to the equally interesting music. The music itself can be categorized into the broad genre known as “noise.” Giant Eyeball itself is a noise project formed by Dan Phelps of both Humble Ary and (the) kindercide and Ben (last name eludes me) of Rivers Run Dry. For Motion Sickness and Refuse is five songs with very little vocals and all meticulously crafted sounds. Each song has its own personality, and they flow into each other quite flawlessly. Even I managed to get into a faint trance while listening to this tape. It’s interesting to hear the drum machines, synthesized sounds, guitar, and other instruments (at one point, a bass was used as a microphone) used to achieve Giant Eyeball’s sound. You hear all sorts of sounds, including claps, honking horns, dishes breaking, and computerized voices. At one point, I felt that I was listening to psychedelic Middle-Eastern music. It’s all over the place. As far out as this stuff is, it seems to have direction and purpose. I’m not even going to get into the specifics of each song as I can’t even really do that as I look at this release as more of a whole than something made up of separate pieces. It’s seriously hard not to get into a trance when listening to this. Everyone who lends their ear to Giant Eyeball will walk away with their own opinion. In the end, I honestly can’t say that I will go back to this release. I may if I want to show somebody some really unusual stuff, but in the end, this is definitely not my cup of tea. If I was giving a score based on uniqueness and originality alone, For Motion Sickness and Refuse would score highly. But the rating issued involves many other factors as well. It’s not a case of me not liking the music; it’s just that I need to listen to something a little more structured. It’s really hard to explain, just like Giant Eyeball’s music. favorite song: "tongue on the floor next to her underwear" rating: 70%/100%

Review: The Killing Tree - The Romance of Helen Trent

artist: the killing tree album: the romance of helen trent label: one day savior records released: 6/25/02 by: rob tatum This was one of the most difficult CD’s to find I have ever run across. Maybe I was looking in the wrong place, but I finally tracked it down about two days ago. The Romance of Helen Trent is the first full length from the band. The first thing I noticed about the album is that it is only nine tracks long… however; it is nearly an hour in length. Six minutes per song is something rarely seen in music lately. The Killing Tree are best described as straight-forward hardcore with melody and singing. And when I say singing, I don’t mean in the background. Their vocalist actually sings a lot of the time, not just the typical hardcore yelling or screaming, he sings. This is the most enticing thing about the band. By no means is the music groundbreaking or extremely technical, but it’s apparent that’s not what the band wants to do with their music. The band really reminds me of some older east coast bands such as Ensign, Shutdown, etc. but with a touch of melody and some singing. The album flows extremely well. The lyrics are emotional and intuitive. Each song is fast paced, but with each one being around six minutes, the structure of each song is intricate but it doesn’t lose the listener in chaos or boredom. If I had to describe this album in one word, it would be enjoyable. I have heard many bands with more talent and many albums that bring more to the table. This album stands out amongst the crowd with a little uniqueness inside a genre that can get overcrowded at times. The instrumental in the middle of the album really adds to the effect. Every time I listen to the album, the more I like it. The Killing Tree knows what they are good at, stick to it, and make this album worth every penny. favorite song: "them’s fightin’ words" (the most melodic song on the record) rating: 85%/100% (it’s not perfect, but it’s a really cool album) Unfortunately they don’t have an mp3.com site, so you’ll have to order this CD from their record label or track me down and ask to borrow it…

Spotlight: A Static Lullaby

bst spotlight band. A Static Lullaby hails from Orange County, CA. Unlike the majority of the bands coming from that scene, they play melodic, heartfelt hardcore. The sound is similar to Grade, but with aspects of everything from Thursday to Poison the Well. In September of 2002, the band was signed to the east coast hardcore label Ferret Records. The band will be releasing their first full length album, …And Don’t Forget to Breathe, in late January of 2003. Their only previous release, an EP, Withered, contains energetic and creative music that separates the band from most bands in hardcore today. The band has been selected to tour with From Autumn to Ashes, Unearth, and The Hope Conspiracy this winter. a static lullaby official website listen to a static lullaby

Review: Avail - Front Porch Stories

artist: avail album: front porch stories label: fat wreck chords released: 11/5/02 by: rob tatum I know you are thinking, Avail? Fat Wreck Chords? Punk? Yep. Avail is one of the most energetic and fun bands I have ever seen live and that energy tends to carry over to their releases. A lot of people felt that Avail might change when they left Lookout! Records for Fat Wreck two years ago, but I can assure that they haven’t lost sight of what they are good at. Combining elements of just about everything, Avail has a unique sound that is usually referred to as punk, but there are aspects of hardcore, and the occasional melodies stray away from punk or hardcore. Vocalist Tim Barry pounds out each of the twelve songs on this record with heart and passion. Musically the record stays right where one would expect it based on Avail’s previous five full lengths. Driving guitars, fast beats, occasional solos and heavy parts, but typical, “get the crowd moving” rock. My biggest complaint about this album, as with most releases lately, is that it clocks in around half an hour. Averaging less than three minutes a song, I wish that there were more than twelve tracks. The fifth track Gravel to Dirt shows the melodic side of Avail as it is both slower and mellower than the other tracks on the CD. The best song is Subdued and Arrested which speaks about standing up for what you believe. Barry’s lyrics continue to be motivational and with good intentions. Overall, the album is nothing special. I love Avail and don’t get me wrong, this album will be in my regular rotation for quite some time, but it’s not an album that everyone should get. If you like Avail, melodic punk, or you need have never heard of them before, check this out. If none of those apply to you, then you won’t be missing anything. favorite song: subdued and arrested rating: 74%/100% listen to avail

Review: Eighteen Visions - Vanity

artist:eighteen visions album: vanity label:trustkill records released: 5/14/02 by: rob tatum For those of you who have heard Until the Ink Runs Out, you know that Eighteen Visions is known for their “in your face” metalcore. Nothing really separated them from any other band in their genre or any band from the Orange County scene. To be quite honest, I didn’t think that they would ever get very far in the direction they appeared to be heading. They were a decent band, but didn’t seem to have anything to offer besides breakdowns and metal. Then comes Vanity. 13 songs ranging from acoustic ballads to a little techno (yes, I said techno) to the typical “in your face” brutal hardcore kids have come to expect from 18V. The album starts with the title track, Vanity, and it hits with the usual intensity of an 18V song, then the verse comes in with singing and melody. This change of pace caught me off guard, but it flows really well. This first track is the “appetizer” for the rest of the album, as it has a little bit of acoustic guitar behind the singing, then it builds into a brutal build with James barking his vocals angrily. The next two songs are in typical 18V fashion. Heavy-hitting. Chugga-Chugga guitar. Passionate vocals. The second song, Fashion Show, has one of the hardest breakdowns I have ever heard, and it could definitely get a crowd going. The fourth song is completely out of the ordinary. It sounds like it could be played on the radio. It doesn’t sound like 18V until about half way through and even then, it doesn’t seem to fit. The next “song” The Notes of My Reflection is an instrumental with acoustic guitar and drum and bass techno in the background. Yep, like I said, techno. The next two songs show more maturity and creativity in song writing for 18V. A little bit of melody mixed with heartfelt lyrics… add a little 18V and you get something new, different, and in my eyes, good. Some lyrics from the sixth song, A short walk down a long hallway, “You’re still the one that opened my eyes. Let me be the one to breath. How did you find me?” My biggest complaint with the album overall is that it changes pace a lot. I like the new direction and experimentation, but every second or third song is acoustic or techno, and it throws things out of wack. Another acoustic track follows on the 8th song, and then the 9th track comes back with a fast-paced, angry attack on the senses. It’s hard to describe. Two more songs follow in the direction of the title track, and then another instrumental, which is more background noise than a song. The last track, which is one of my favorites, is another ballad, but it is the best track lyrically and musically. Love in Autumn shows that the band has grown since their last release and that they are not just a one dimensional hardcore band. It ends the album well. This album is really good, but there are times when it is hard to listen to, as it jumps around so much. It is much better than any of the previous releases from 18V, at least in my eyes, but I’m not sure, even to this day, if I like the way it was pieced together. favorite song: "fashion show" / "love in autumn" (tie, they show both sides of the band) rating: 86%/100% listen to eighteen visions

Spotlight: My Chemical Romance

bst spotlight band. Having only been around for about a year, My Chemical Romance burst into the punk/emo scene with their first release, I Brought You My Bullets, You Brought Me Your Love, on Eyeball Records. This is the same label that released Thursday’s first album, Waiting. MCR combines fast-paced melodies with heartfelt vocals, creating a distinct sound all their own. Lyrically the band writes somewhat twisted love songs encompassing lyrics such as “These hands stained red, from the times I’ve killed you and then we can wash down this engagement ring with poison and kerosene.” Musically, the band combines everything from simple punk melodies to intricate harmonies and even the occasional sing-along. All in all, the band is nice change of pace from typical emo and hardcore bands and doesn’t bore the listener like a generic punk band. Check them out at: http://www.mychemicalromance.com. my chemical romance official website listen to my chemical romance